Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.[1] Modern biology is a vast and eclectic field, composed of many branches and subdisciplines. However, despite the broad scope of biology, there are certain general and unifying concepts within it that govern all study and research, consolidating it into single, coherent fields. In general, biology recognizes the cell as the basic unit of life, genes as the basic unit of heredity, and evolution as the engine that propels the synthesis and creation of new species. It is also understood today that all organisms survive by consuming and transforming energy and by regulating their internal environment to maintain a stable and vital condition.
Chemistry is a branch of physical science that studies the composition, structure, properties and change of matter.[1][2] Chemistry is chiefly concerned with atoms and molecules and their interactions and transformations, for example, the properties of the chemical bonds formed between atoms to create chemical compounds. As such, chemistry studies the involvement of electrons and various forms of energy in photochemical reactions, oxidation-reduction reactions, changes in phases of matter, and separation of mixtures. Preparation and properties of complex substances, such as alloys, polymers, biological molecules, and pharmaceutical agents are considered in specialized fields of chemistry.
Chemistry is sometimes called the central science because it bridges other natural sciences like physics, geology and biology.[3][4] Chemistry is a branch of physical science but distinct from physics.[5]
The etymology of the word chemistry has been much disputed. The history of chemistry can be traced to certain practices, known as alchemy, which had been practiced for several millennia in various parts of the world.
Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity (numbers),[2] structure,[3] space,[2] and change.[4][5][6] There is a range of views among mathematicians and philosophers as to the exact scope and definition of mathematics.[7][8]
Mathematicians seek out patterns[9][10] and use them to formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proof. When mathematical structures are good models of real phenomena, then mathematical reasoning can provide insight or predictions about nature. Through the use of abstraction and logic, mathematics developed from counting, calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of physical objects. Practical mathematics has been a human activity for as far back as written records exist. The research required to solve mathematical problems can take years or even centuries of sustained inquiry.
Rigorous arguments first appeared in Greek mathematics, most notably in Euclid's Elements. Since the pioneering work of Giuseppe Peano (1858–1932), David Hilbert (1862–1943), and others on axiomatic systems in the late 19th century, it has become customary to view mathematical research as establishing truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions. Mathematics developed at a relatively slow pace until the Renaissance, when mathematical innovations interacting with new scientific discoveries led to a rapid increase in the rate of mathematical discovery that has continued to the present day.
Computer science is the scientific and practical approach to computation and its applications. It is the systematic study of the feasibility, structure, expression, and mechanization of the methodical procedures (or algorithms) that underlie the acquisition, representation, processing, storage, communication of, and access to information, whether such information is encoded as bits in a computer memory or transcribed in genes and protein structures in a biological cell.[1] A computer scientist specializes in the theory of computation and the design of computational systems.[2]
Its subfields can be divided into a variety of theoretical and practical disciplines. Some fields, such as computational complexity theory (which explores the fundamental properties of Computational and intractable problems), are highly abstract, while fields such as computer graphics emphasize real-world visual applications. Still other fields focus on the challenges in implementing computation. For example, programming language theory considers various approaches to the description of computation, whilst the study of computer programming itself investigates various aspects of the use of programming language and complex systems. Human-computer interaction considers the challenges in making computers and computations useful, usable, and universally accessible to humans.
The Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is a test of English language proficiency, largely for university admissions. The test is set and run by the Malaysian Examinations Council (which also runs the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia examination). MUET is largely recognized only in Malaysia and Singapore. However, a small number of universities outside Malaysia and Singapore do recognise MUET.
Most candidates who sit for MUET do so to apply for admissions in public and private universities and colleges. MUET is a prerequisite in applying for admissions into all public universities and colleges in Malaysia. MUET is also accepted for admissions into most universities in Singapore including National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, as well as a few universities outside Malaysia and Singapore such as University of East London, Manchester Metropolitan University, Upper Iowa University, Nagoya University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and United International College.
The universities set different target band scores for different courses. For instance, students who want to pursue Law would be required to obtain a Band 4 in MUET, while students who want to pursue Medicine would be required to obtain a Band 5. MUET is also compulsory for graduating from a local university. So, candidates are advised to take the MUET as soon as possible to avoid delays in their graduation.
Public (government) servants also take MUET for promotion opportunities. For intance, police officers, teachers and administrative staff take MUET as an English qualification.
Candidates usually have to register via their institution, private candidates with their State Education Department, with a registration fee which used to be RM 61, but has now gone up to RM 101. Candidates can register for MUET online via the mpm website. Although Malaysian government has decided to abolish government examination fees from 2007 onwards,[1] MUET will remain as a paid test. From year 2012 onwards, MUET will be held three times per year, in March, July and November. It is advisable to allocate sufficient time for preparation, in order to obtain the band score required for university. On average, 85,000 candidates sit for the MUET each time.